Out of the Woods
by Mystical Authoress
Summary: Written for the 48 Hour OCxCanon challenge. A mage hired by Count Arganan to find out the cause of recent attacks just ouside Lazulis, in the woods, finds a man cursed and decides to help him. Why not? And why not do what she can to help out with the situation? Reading people seems to help with situations like these, after all.


**Author note: I do not own 'The Last Story.' But I do own the OC in this fic.**

**...Yes, there is an OC. Yes, it's an AU, specifically inspired a bit by Little Red Riding Hood. No, it's not multichapter fic for once. And no, there will be not be more than one OC. XD**

**I wasn't originally going to do this, but I wanted to challenge myself. And so I made up this challenge yesterday evening and decided to try it.**

**Challenge: ****_THE 48-HOUR OCXCANON CHALLENGE_. YOU think of a pairing with one canon character from the Last Story, and then pair them with an OC that you create and write a oneshot with that pairing in 48 hours aka two days. If you're interested, go ahead and take the challenge! I dare you to! XD**

**Warning: AU, Cursed!Asthar, Werewolf!Asthar, AstharxOC, onesided ArgananxOC**

**Constructive Criticism would be great and I hope that you read, review and enjoy! Thanks!**

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><p><em><strong>Out of the Woods<strong>_

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><p><em>Once upon a time, there was a man who could be called one of the greatest knights of them all. He was the Supreme General of the land's forces once upon a time, and he deserved such a title for his honorable actions as a knight. He was humble, kind, and understanding to everyone around him, and also held a great prowess in battle and could turn the odds in his favor, no matter how bad they were.<em>

_One day, things turned disastrous. One of his cohorts started a rebellion against him, burning down many villages in the land as a result. The Supreme General was able to stop the rebellion, but let the blame fall upon himself, for he knew that overall it was his responsibility to work for the good of the people and he knew this was unforgivable on his part. He stepped down from the title of Supreme General, and wandered about the land, trying to lend aid to the village people who had lost their homes due to the rebellion_

_One person, however, was so furious with him that they cast a curse upon him that forced his appearance to change every night to one of a beastly creature. He was terrified, and they say he could be heard howling in pain and grief throughout the whole land during the very first time he transformed to such a form. He is heard to now wander in the land, looking for a way to break the curse and for someone he can trust, someone who will accept him despite his changing form at night..._

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><p>A woman walked off the path of Lazulis Road and into the nearby forest. A scarlet hooded cloak trailed close to the ground, worn overtop a red lace blouse-like tunic and black pants, with black boots made not for style, but for travelling. Her eyes, brown as dirt, surveyed the vegetation about her as she continued to walk. Using one pale, slender hand to push a lock of black hair (black as the ravens, or the black roses) out of her face, her rose red lips curled into a small frown. She took a note out of her pocket, with elegant but rushed handwriting scrawled upon it.<p>

"So..." She murmured softly, her voice low as she was merely talking to herself, "Count Arganan wants me to find the cause of the sudden increase of people being attacked and get rid of it. That there were rumours of something attacking people at night because of that beast."

She hastily put the note in her pants pocket, sighing. "In woods like these, where in the world should I start looking...?"

_Or maybe I shouldn't look for it. Maybe I should wait and let the beast come to me._

She decided to wait. Waiting usually helped to find something. Patience was key to finding anything unknown, after all. She knew night would approach quickly, and with the nighttime arriving the beast would arrive as well. According to what Count Arganan had told her, the beast only appeared at night and vanished during the day.

Well, now she would know what this beast was. She was ready to take it down-she was quite skilled in Nature magic, after all-and soon she would know what this beast was and why it was roaming about the forest.

Night came.

Silence seemed to fall upon the woods almost immediately. The birds no longer chirped, having gone to sleep or were trying to sleep, and there were no sounds of squirrels or other small animals running about. The hum of bees from their hives couldn't even be heard. It was as if they all expected the beast to arrive, too.

A defeaning howl pierced the air, and she opened her eyes. She had fallen asleep while waiting for night to come, which might have been foolish of her to do because she knew there was a beast running about in the night and yet she had fallen to slumber in the face of danger. How foolish, indeed.

She stood, looking around quietly. She could sense something getting closer for sure, though she had no idea what.

And then it came.

It wasn't a wolf, but it was no man, either. A cross in-between that, she figured, as she gazed at the very sight of it. The beast's teeth were razor sharp, grey eyes maliciously glinting in the moonlight. A long scar went over one of its eyes-the right eye, she thought-and several patches of dark brown fur covered its skin. It let out something between a howl and a roar, lunging at her.

She instinctively leapt out of harm's way, but had no time to cast a Nature spell as it recovered from missing, lunging at her again. Rolling out of the way, she managed to summon a spell and hit the beast with it. The beast roared in pain, eyes full of fury, before it lunged at her, growling.

She was pinned to the ground, the impact of being tackled down knocking the wind out of her, and as soon as she recovered she realized that she was staring straight into its face. It glared at her, though it said nothing.

She glared back, before blasting it back with a Nature spell before getting up and running, hoping to lose its tracks.

So _this _was the beast that Arganan had told her about. It was no wonder that people feared going into the woods-a werewolf would certainly scare them away from travelling at night through these parts if something like that was running about. It made her wonder, though, how it could have gotten over here. Last time she heard of a werewolf case was somewhere in a land that was some distance away from Lazulis Island, but how could it have gotten on a ship and sailed all the way here? Unless maybe the werewolf came to this island to try to seek help. That could be-

Howling cut her thoughts into pieces, before she turned, unable to stop herself from screaming as the wolf tackled her down for the second time. It roared, snapping its jaws at her as a sign of warning, not to bite her, and-

...that was when the first bit of sunlight hit the beast, having trailed through the trees and signalling that morning was near.

The werewolf whimpered, before leaping off the woman and rushing away. She got up shakily, surprised, before rushing after it.

"Wait, please!"

Pushing several branches and bushes out of her way, she managed to at least keep sight of the beast, before she reached a hidden spring, water clear as crystal flowing into a small lake. Near the lake was the beast, transforming.

Pained howls became human screams as bones seemed to shift under its skin, the extra fur vanishing, grey eyes slowly clearing away the anger and fury it once held. The wolfish face seemed to become human, slowly and agonizingly painful, and he fell to his knees, clutching his chest. He then keeled onto the ground, lying on his side and staying completely still.

She felt scared to approach him, though she knew for sure now that he was a werewolf. She paused, before slowly approaching him.

"A-are...are you alright?"

She knew her voice was shaky, probably from trying to catch her breath, but she didn't care. She got onto both knees, extending a hand towards his dark brown hair and gently stroking it, brushing a few strands aside to see that she had cut his shoulder with the spells she cast earlier. She winced, using healing magic to seal the wound at once. Despite being a mage and all, she hated hurting people-well, unless they were trying to come on to her; she didn't mind punching them in the face then-but this was different from those cases.

She heard him mutter something incoherent, his eyes flickering open to see her. He stared at her, and she stared back at him. She repeated her question.

"Are you alright?"

He sighed, slowly sitting up, pushing his long, thick brown hair back with one hand.

"I am fine, thank you." He managed after a moment of silence. He winced. "I...I should apologize."

She blinked. "What for?"

He pointed to her arm. "That. I harmed you, didn't I? In my...nocturnal form?"

She looked at her arm to see three claw scratches from it, and she healed it quickly with her magic. "I-I suppose so, but it's fine now, thank you." She paused awkwardly, quietly, before speaking. "My name is Azalea Tempest. I was hired by Count Arganan to investigate why there were attacks in this area. Should I assume you are the cause of it?"

He nodded. "I most likely am, Miss Azalea. Though I'm afraid I cannot do much, unless you wish to bring me straight to the dungeons of Lazulis..."

She shook her head. "No, there should be another way. There must be another way. What is your name?"

He then smiled at her. "My apologies for not introducing myself just now, Miss Azalea. My name is Asthar, former Supreme General of the Empire and reduced to nothing but a mere werewolf. It's a pleasure to meet you."

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><p>She learned of his story. He had once been the Supreme General, and he was now cursed and forced to find a way to break the curse of forcefully transforming into that wolf-like form every night. She wanted to help him-after all, it would help better in the long term if she was able to break the curse, right? It would be better for everyone!<p>

She just had to persuade her employer that it would be the best option possible. That was the one thing in the way of that.

"And you didn't capture him and bring him straight to the dungeon while he was weakened!?" Count Arganan glared at her, his wavy blond hair rustling slightly as he slammed a metal fist against his desk, his one blue eye glaring straight into her brown ones. "Why didn't you? You know that he is very much a threat to the people of Lazulis, and anyone that might be travelling nearby-"

"Excuse me, Count Arganan, but I believe there is a better solution." Azalea responded, matching his glare with hers. "If I can break Asthar's curse it would be better in the long term, because if we were to imprison him he would just transform straight into his form every night and try to break out! You'd have to waste guards on making sure he even stays in his cell. He could probably break out of the dungeon in his werewolf form and probably kill off some people in the process of escaping, including you. Surely you don't wish for a possible early death, right? All I need is as much time as needed to break this curse, and then after that you and the people of Lazulis will never have to worry again about it."

His glare had softened, but he was still studying her carefully. She wondered if she had made an error in interrupting him-she guessed that she did, after all he was a noble and nobles had their eyes on better behaviour than this-and she bowed slightly.

"I apologize for...interrupting, sir."

Arganan shook his head, sighing. "It is fine, Miss Tempest. I do see your point. If you are able to break this curse, it will prove beneficial for the people of Lazulis. And myself, as well as you and Asthar himself. Very well. I will give you that time."

She nodded. "Thank you, sir." She turned to leave, before she heard him speak again.

"Miss Tempest?"

She turned to him. Arganan looked almost worried-she could see it in that one good eye of his.

"Yes?" She spoke, tilting her head to one side, pretending not to notice his worry too much. She didn't want to accidentally lead him on-all of the Lazulis knights and maids in the castle were already gazing at her, and she disliked her natural beauty due to that. It made her wonder if the Count himself was infatuated with her appearance despite her behaviour.

Count Arganan hesitated, before speaking carefully. "Do be careful, please."

She nodded. "I will be."

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><p>Literally going to see Asthar in his werewolf form every night maybe wasn't the best thing in the world to do, but at least it kept his focus on her and therefore he didn't attack anyone but her in his werewolf form during the night. She had gotten used to his attacks, and she made sure to be prepared. Somehow she managed to survive (with a few scratches of course) and Asthar applauded her efforts (while he was wincing from all the injuries he gained from being hit by nature spells).<p>

"It is no lasting solution, though," Asthar spoke one afternoon. Azalea would visit Asthar in the afternoon as well, just to check on how he was doing overall. "We should try to find a cure to the curse."

Azalea sighed. "But you said the curse was put on you by a spell, yes? So it's not like consuming any items is going to help. We'll have to find that spell to reverse that certain curse, and I don't know how long it could take. I mean," She winced a bit, "I would drag you into the Lazulis library to help me look for any tomes that might help with these things, but Count Arganan would probably say no. He is already worried about how the people are...and also worried about me to some extent, which I find weird. Is it weird?"

Asthar gave her one good look, before speaking. "Well, Miss Azalea, I wouldn't be surprised if the Count himself worries over a beautiful lady like you." He chuckled at that.

She glared at him a little. "Asthar, please do me a favour and shut up."

He laughed. "That's kind of hard to do if we want to exchange any further conversation, hm?"

"Heh, true I suppose..." She coudln't help but laugh as well.

The relations they had with each other were always a bit like that-like friends, with one continuously annoying the other for fun. Sometimes, though, Asthar would be sad, talking of the past and wondering what he could have done to try to stop the rebellion earlier, or if he had the chance to explain to the person who cursed him with this werewolf form-what could have happened?

The past was in the past, though, and they couldn't change that.

Azalea began to notice things, the more she met with Asthar. Things like Asthar gazing at her more intently than usual. She first brushed that off, assuming it was just like those other stupid knights and maids back at Lazulis Castle. But Asthar was a gentleman similarly to Arganan, but thankfully not as stiff. It felt freer to be with him, out here in the woods than in the suffocating atmosphere of Lazulis City. Asthar had his sense of humour, and she didn't mind. He was a jolly person, aside from his somber moments when he would be thinking of the past.

Maybe she had a liking towards him. Maybe.

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><p>Weeks passed by. A cure hadn't been found quite yet, but Azalea was sure she was getting close. Count Arganan had decided to help her personally, explaining that two was better than one when going through all of those magic tomes, though she betted it was for the reason that he had obviously taken a liking to her. She just hoped that if he did like her, that it wasn't all based on her appearance like it was with those darned Lazulis knights.<p>

"So," Arganan spoke up after putting a few tomes away, "I heard that you punched one knight in the face yesterday morning."

Azalea couldn't help but smile slightly at that as she read through one of the magic tomes. "I did, Count Arganan." She admitted, though she managed to keep her voice calm and not too excited. "He was...coming onto me, and I found him quickly unpleasant. He refused to leave me alone, so I had no choice but to resort to violence to make it clear to him that I harbored complete dislike for him. Actually, scratch that. I meant hatred, not dislike."

She closed the tome, finding it useless as Arganan spoke up, taking the tome from her and putting it back on the shelf. "I-I see." His voice was somewhat hesitant, wavering. He paused, before speaking again. "Forgive me for prying into personal matters, Miss Tempest, but...do you...feel any...sentiment for Asthar?"

Azalea frowned at that. She wasn't really sure how she felt for him. Maybe Arganan saw that because she visited Asthar so often that it was out of love or something akin to it. But she couldn't help but admit to herself that she did feel something, and she knew what it was. Why not answer the question?

"I do feel such sentiment for him."

There was no point in lying. If she lied and said no, that would just lead him on further and make it worse for him in the aftermath. Better to cut it all off now than later.

A defeated look overtook Arganan's face, and he looked down. "I'm...sorry."

She shook her head. "Do not be. I had the feeling that you held sentiment for me since I was first hired by you, Count."

His one eye widened in fear. "Y-you did...? How-"

She shrugged slightly. "I've just always been good at reading people, sir. Always. Do not worry-spreading word of things such of this wouldn't do anything to benefit either of us. It's best to keep that quiet. Please don't think that it is because I think you are old or because you don't have a left arm or leg in the flesh, because that's not the reason. I just simply do not see you in that way, Count Arganan."

She made sure to keep eye contact with him as she spoke her reasons, to let him know that although she didn't mind his sincerity, she wouldn't be giving him any affection of the sort anytime soon. She really didn't like him in that way. As someone of respect, yes. As a person, yes-far more than the Lazulis knights at the very least. As a romantic partner, no. She wasn't into him in that way at all.

Arganan nodded quietly. "I understand, Miss Tempest." His voice was slightly dulled, perhaps feeling the pain of rejection, but he took it well otherwise. "Thank you for telling me. And..." He extended a tome to her. "Here. I think this might have what you need to cure Asthar."

She smiled, taking the tome from him.

"Thank you."

He tried to smile back at her. "It is no problem at all. Not as hard as it is to try to get on terms with my niece."

"You mean Lady Calista?" Azalea asked, blinking.

He nodded, sighing and looking away slightly. "Yes, her. Ever since I had her betrothed to Duke Rambaldt's son we haven't quite...communicated well unless you count angry shouting."

She frowned slightly. "Maybe...you should try to listen to your niece a bit more. And try to stay calm instead of trying to yell. But I think you'd ought to try to talk things out with her as soon as you can. Otherwise you're both going to be truly unhappy when the time comes, sir."

He seemed to smile. "Thank you, Miss Tempest."

She smiled back at him. "It is no problem, Count Arganan."

She left, and she knew he was watching her, hearing him laugh softly at himself.

"I'm such a fool..."

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><p>"Tomorrow?"<p>

Azalea thought it would be best to tell him first about the fact that she found a spell to reverse his curse, and then wait until tomorrow until he calmed down from being so excited about it to break his curse.

"Yes, tomorrow." She answered Asthar quietly, smiling slightly. "All I need to do is that you need to be here, I have to be here, and just at sunset, I can use this incantation that Arganan helped me find and you'll...well, you'll be back to normal."

Asthar blinked in surprise. "Count Arganan helped you?"

She shrugged a bit. "Do not think on it too much. I have already spurned him."

He stared. "Wait, he actually did have some sentiment for you?"

"Yes," She answered, using some of her nature magic to cause a nearby patch of flowers to bloom. "and I do not like him back. After I told him that I did not feel such a way for him, he seemed to take it well." She smiled slightly. "Hopefully he'll move on quickly enough and move to other priorities, such as mending his already fragmented relations with his niece."

Asthar blinked in surprise. "So, the rumours are true, that the Count and his niece Calista were not on the best of terms."

"I figured it to be true. Lucky guess. He told me that they just haven't been communicating well ever since he had her engaged to Jirall Rambaldt. Hopefully they'll actually talk things out instead of yelling at each other and getting nothing done."

Asthar gazed at the nature mage quietly, curiously. "You...know how to talk with people, don't you?"

She shook her head. "Not really. I just know how to read them really well."

He nodded, before wincing as the sun began to set. "Ready for the last night of having to fight me?"

She couldn't help but manage a grin. "Yes."

He grinned at that, painfully, before transforming. "Perfect."

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><p>A night passed and they both survived from all the fighting, with wounds that they patched up quickly early in the morning.<p>

A morning and afternoon passed, full of impatience and waiting.

And then it was close to the time.

Sunset.

They met, and Azalea chanted her spell.

The strange thing was, there was no glow of magic surrounding Asthar or anything like that. It was like nothing had happened.

Asthar blinked. "Are you sure this is supposed to work?"

Azalea nodded, blushing. "Y-yes, it should...wait. Wait for it.." She winced as sun slowly dipped into the horizon, before the sky became dark, signalling the night.

And Asthar did not change.

Azalea couldn't help but grin, regaining composure. "It did work!"

Asthar couldn't help but laugh a little at this. "Miss Azalea...that was brilliant. You have to thank Count Arganan for me for helping you find the tome."

She smiled. "You're welcome, Asthar." She then frowned. "Though...where do you think you'll go now? I mean..." She looked around. "You've been wandering around for forever because you stepped down from Supreme General and mainly due to your curse. The Empire knows that you're a great leader-you could go back-"

He shook his head. "No, actually."

She blinked in surprise. "No?"

He nodded. "No. I don't think I want to go back."

Azalea tilted her head in confusion. "Wait, why? I mean, is it bad memories of war, or..."

He shook his head, smiling slightly. "No. I found something better than that, Miss Azalea. Someone who has stayed by my side despite the fact that I could have possibly killed them during the night."

He stepped closer to her, gently taking her hand in his own. "Miss Azalea. It might sound odd to you, but...over the past weeks since we've met, I've...felt sentiment for you, in a romantic sense."

Azalea gently squeezed his hand. "Well, good news. I feel the same for you as well."

Asthra blinked, his turn to be surprised. "The bad news?"

Azalea grinned. "You have no idea what you might get into because of me. I'm not exactly like most ladies, if you haven't noticed by now. I'm not the frilly love letter type or the uptight lady that plays by the rules. I'm...I don't know. I don't even like wearing dresses."

Asthar grinned, gazing at her. "I look forward to experiencing your worst side, Miss Azalea, as well as your best one if I haven't seen it yet."

He kissed the back of her hand, and she couldn't help but blush slightly. She chuckled a bit, smiling up at him.

"Don't be so spoiled. We've got long to go before we figure everything out with each other, Asthar."


End file.
